St Margaret Ward Catholic Primary School, Sale
St Margaret Ward Catholic Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 3 to 11 in Sale. It has a Roman Catholic religious character. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in November 2023. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 16th-highest of the 16 schools in Sale with published results, and 10,359th of 14,452 across England. It was full in 2025, at 101% of capacity.
- SATs results
- Below England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2023)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- In line with England
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 81 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Trafford (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
St Margaret Ward Catholic Primary School in detail
St Margaret Ward Catholic Primary School in its own words
In its own words: "This is written large in the lovely piece of artwork in our entrance area. Any visitors to our school immediately have a striking image of what we are about through this Mission Statement which staff, pupils, parents, parishioners and governors all contributed towards."
From the headteacher's welcome: "It is a great privilege to be the Headteacher of such a welcoming and caring school community. From the moment you walk through our doors, you will find happy, enthusiastic children, dedicated staff who nurture and encourage every pupil, and supportive governors who share our commitment to providing the very best education for all."
The school runs a breakfast club.
Vision and values (school website)Headteacher's welcome (school website)Wraparound care (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 82% of Year 6 pupils at St Margaret Ward Catholic Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 58% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 84% and 82% in Trafford and 77% and 75% across England.
Results fell from 88% in reading and 81% in maths in 2024.
With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.
Getting a place at St Margaret Ward Catholic Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 24 families put St Margaret Ward Catholic Primary School as their first choice and 48 named it as one of their preferences, for 24 places offered. That is one first choice for every place. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.
Admissions history and your chances at St Margaret Ward Catholic Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to St Margaret Ward Catholic Primary School are Woodheys Primary School (0.4 miles, Good, 83% reading, 86% maths); Tyntesfield Primary School (0.5 miles, Outstanding, 95% reading, 95% maths); Firs Primary School (0.6 miles, Outstanding, 77% reading, 78% maths); and Broadheath Primary School (0.7 miles, Good, 86% reading, 91% maths).
Each of them had higher 2025 results than St Margaret Ward Catholic Primary School.
Woodheys Primary SchoolTyntesfield Primary SchoolFirs Primary SchoolBroadheath Primary School
Who goes there
35% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (53%), Mixed (12%) and Chinese (11%).
Getting there
The nearest tram or metro stop is Timperley (Manchester Metrolink), about 1 mile away in a straight line.
6 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Hurst Avenue (opposite), 120 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood St Margaret Ward Catholic Primary School stands in is among the 10% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, St Margaret Ward Catholic Primary School issued 2 suspensions, 0.8 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime; DfE exclusions statistics
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 3 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its November 2023 inspection.
Rated Outstanding for
Behaviour & attitudes, Personal development.
Rated Good for
Quality of education, Leadership & management, Early years.
At a Glance
33.2%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has declined from 88% to 82% (2024 to 2025). Maths has declined from 81% to 58% (2024 to 2025). Writing has remained stable at around 79% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
27.5
Avg class size
24.0
Infant (KS1)
31.5
KS2
8
Total classes
3 classes with more than 30 pupils
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with St Margaret Ward Catholic Primary School
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near St Margaret Ward Catholic Primary School.
- Tyntesfield Sports Camp740m away · Not yet graded
- Code Ninjas Trafford1000m away · Not yet graded
Term dates
St Margaret Ward Catholic Primary School is a voluntary aided school, so it sets its own term dates: check the school's website. As a guide, see Trafford's term dates for its community schools.
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to St Margaret Ward Catholic Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. St Margaret Ward Catholic Primary School is in Trafford; for families living there:
Apply to Trafford for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 6
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 1
- Children hurt
- 1
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 6 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 5 slight.
1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on a bicycle.
0 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included.
The typical figure for schools in Trafford is 11 (the median across 103 schools, same distance and years).
Serious and slight counts use the Department for Transport's severity adjustment, which allows for changes in how police forces record injuries; they are estimates, rounded to whole numbers. Distances are in a straight line. Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.
Commute and house prices
Your chances of a place at St Margaret Ward Catholic Primary School
Will you get a place at St Margaret Ward Catholic Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against St Margaret Ward Catholic Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for St Margaret Ward Catholic Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to St Margaret Ward Catholic Primary School.
- Trafford publishes last distance offered figures, but none for St Margaret Ward Catholic Primary School that we hold, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at St Margaret Ward Catholic Primary School for 2014 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Trafford got their first choice, and how often appeals there succeed.
- The nearest state schools to your home, with Ofsted rating, demand and last distance offered where published.
- Key dates for September 2027 entry and how to apply.
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Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
101%
Over capacity
213 pupils
210 places
3 pupils over capacity in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Sale
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Sale
Across Trafford council
Places available
2,990
Applications
2,238
Got 1st preference
94.5%
Got preferred school
99.6%
All primary applications across Trafford council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(5)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
34
SEN Support
11
EHC Plans
20.2%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
223
Total Pupils
107
Boys
116
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
13
Teachers
17.2:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£53,151
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,785
Per pupil
£1400k
Total funding
£106k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
4.2%
Overall absence
11.4%
Persistent absence
193
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Secondary Schools Nearby
Secondary schools pupils are likely to move to
St Margaret Ward Catholic Primary School
Questions parents ask about St Margaret Ward Catholic Primary School
What are SATs results like at St Margaret Ward Catholic Primary School?
Of the pupils at St Margaret Ward Catholic Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 82% reached the expected standard in reading and 58% did so in maths.
What is St Margaret Ward Catholic Primary School's Ofsted rating?
St Margaret Ward Catholic Primary School was rated Good at its most recent Ofsted inspection in November 2023. At its previous graded inspection in 2009 it was rated Outstanding.
What is the catchment area for St Margaret Ward Catholic Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When St Margaret Ward Catholic Primary School is oversubscribed, Trafford allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at St Margaret Ward Catholic Primary School?
St Margaret Ward Catholic Primary School was full in 2025, at 101% of its capacity, so places are allocated on the oversubscription criteria.
How big are the classes at St Margaret Ward Catholic Primary School?
Classes at St Margaret Ward Catholic Primary School average 27.5 pupils (2025/26). 3 classes have more than 30 pupils - infant classes are capped at 30 by law, with limited exceptions.
How many pupils go to St Margaret Ward Catholic Primary School?
St Margaret Ward Catholic Primary School has around 223 pupils on roll. 33% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at St Margaret Ward Catholic Primary School?
4.2% of sessions were missed at St Margaret Ward Catholic Primary School in 2024/25. 11.4% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to St Margaret Ward Catholic Primary School?
Apply through Trafford's coordinated admissions process, naming St Margaret Ward Catholic Primary School on your application. Applications for Reception places starting in September 2027 close on Friday 15 January 2027, and offers are made on Friday 16 April 2027.
Does St Margaret Ward Catholic Primary School have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists 2 out-of-school clubs within a kilometre of St Margaret Ward Catholic Primary School: Tyntesfield Sports Camp (740m away, registered, not yet graded) and Code Ninjas Trafford (1000m away, registered, not yet graded). The school may also run its own clubs, which don't have to register with Ofsted.
How many road collisions happen near St Margaret Ward Catholic Primary School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 6 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 5 slight. 1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on a bicycle. 0 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included. The typical figure for schools in Trafford is 11 (the median across 103 schools, same distance and years).
Where is St Margaret Ward Catholic Primary School?
St Margaret Ward Catholic Primary School is at Cherry Lane, Sale, Cheshire, M33 4GY.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)